This invention relates to an improved swimsuit and, in particular, to an improved women's swimsuit which shapes and improves the figure of the person wearing it.
Various prior art women's swimsuit designs utilize figure-shaping means within the construction of the swimsuit. U.S. Pat. No. 3,771,172 discloses a swimsuit that utilizes an inner elastic garment and a reinforcing panel sewn along its edges to the inner garment and made of the same material. U.S. Pat. No. 4,698,847 discloses a swimsuit which uses stretchable cloth members to support and firm various portions of the body while U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,712,308 and 3,777,764 disclose an elastic undergarment which utilizes a moveable stay unit in the abdomen region. Also, U.S. Pat. No. 4,571,742 discloses a swimsuit utilizing an inner garment which includes arcuate stays which flattens out abdominal bulge. Although these swimsuits provide some limited shaping effect, they do not produce the overall aesthetic appearance of an "hourglass-like" shape. In addition, they provide difficulties in manufacturing and/or can be uncomfortable to wear.
With the problems and deficiencies of the prior art in mind, it is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved women's swimsuit which shapes the figure of the wearer to an aesthetically pleasing hourglass-like shape.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a swimsuit which restricts the bulging of the wearer's figure in the abdomen and hip regions.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a swimsuit which is comfortable to the wearer and is easily manufactured.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a reinforced swimsuit which permits a full range of activities while being resistant to environmental effects in normal swimsuit use.